Vacuum cleaning attachment for motor vehicles



Jan. 3l, '1928.

L. F. BEAULIEU VACUUM CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed 001;.V5, 1926 INVENTOI?.` LJ?. Beaulzea Y am ATTORNEY Patented Jan'Bl, 1928.

` UNITED STATES 1,657,701 PATENT oFFl-cE.

LESTER F. BEAULIEU, 01B' I'JIIINCIOIIJT,v CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HmT0 CORNELIUS B. KENNEDY,

OF LINCOLN, CALIFORNIA..

vACUUiir CLEANING'ATTACHMET FOR Moron VEHICLES.

o Application and october This invention relates to improvements invacuum cleaning. devices, and particularly to vone for motor vehicles;my principal object being to rovide ya suction fan arranged to t? bedriven ythe exhaust gasesy of the vehicle, and a suction linepermanently extending from the fan to a convenientpoint on the vehicle,sothata vacuum cleaning nozzle of any suitable character can be attachedto l the suction vline and operated inside the vehide.

, A further object is to provide a device for `the urpose constructed asan attachment,

-Whic may be readily interposed in and perl5 manently connected to the.exhaust pipe of any motor vehicle ina position most convenient. v

My device should, I believe, fill a long felt want, especially inconnection with cloth upbolstered closed cars, which. of course collectdust andv dirt which it is almost impossible to eliminate with ordinarymeans. Vacuum cleaning devices being recognized .as very etiicient, somecar owne-rs have attempted to utilize their house vacuum cleaningattachv Vment in their cars. :Such equipment, however, is notintendedfor this purpose and is awkward and hard to manlpulate in the crampedquarters, besides necessitating leading a hose or the like from outsidethe car into the same, increasing thefinconvenience of operation. Mydevice on the other hand is self-contained within thevehicle.

A further object of the .invention is to produce a simple andinexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eective for thepurposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement 'of 4o parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing speciicatlon and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the l several views:

motor vehicle showing-the mounting of my vacuum cleaning attachmentthereon.

Fig. 2 isa sectional elevationof the ex haust pipe coupling sleeveand-dr1ving menu.

5o ber associated therewith. v Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionvof-thevacuum creating attachment, taken on the lme f 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a sideelevatlon of the attach- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sidesection of a' s, 192e. serial No. 139,599.

ment with the` coveron the suction fan chamber removed to show the fan.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference onthedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a sleeve of suitable length and of adiameter such as to enable itv to fit snugly at both ends of the exhaustpipe 2 of the engine 3 of the vehicle; said pipe beingy of the gasesafter they have acted on the I turbine. Turnably mounted in the sleeveat the junction of the rear end of the passage 5r with the sleeve isaflap valve 8, adapted tobe movedto close the sleeve beyond the passage,so that the gases-from the engine must enter said'passage to rotate thewheel; or to be moved toclose .the passage so that the gases will.travel directly through the sleeve and to the outer end of the exhaustpipe without affecting the turbine. The

stern 9 of this valve has a handle 10 of suitable form on its outer endso thevalve may be manipulated at will.`

The shaftll of the wheel is journaled. in one Wall of the chamber 6 andprojects therethrough into another chamber 12 which is disposedimmediately adjacent the chamber 6 and is preferably formed as a unitarypart of the sleevel and said chamber 6. Fixed on the shaft 11 andturninin vthe chamber 12 is a centrifugal suction an 13 of suitable form. Theoutlet passage 14 fromthe fan chamber preferably projects rearwardly,

while the intake passage 15 which is centrally alined with the shaft11,-'as is customary, is adapted for connection to a length of hose orpipe 16. This hose preferably extends upwardly and adjacent the forwardside of the V`engine bulkhead 17 of the vehicle, being connected at itsupper end toa suitable form of quick connection coupling 18 which ispermanently attached to the rear side of the bulkhead in a locationconvenient to be` reached by operator. The coupling may throughthe hose16 toward the fan, as will Y be evident.

The above described parts are permanently installed on the vehicle. Asuction nozzle 19 of any standard and suitable type, and havin a lengthof flexible. hose 20 sufcient to ena le the nozzle to be used throughoutthe interior area of the car, is provided with these permanent parts fordetachable connection to the coupling 18. y Y

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that Ihaveproduced such a device as substantially ullls the objects of theinvention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction Operating means for a vacuum cleaning attachment comprisinga turbine wheel, a suction fan mounted in driving relationship with saidwheel, a passage member leading to the wheel, and a sleeve tappedintermediate its ends by said member, and having -valve means to permitof a direct How through the sleeve from one end to the 'other andselectively7 from one end into the LESTER F. BEAULIEU.

